Transsexual goes from running home improvement firm as a bloke to running a beauty salon as a women

A joiner who ran kitchen fitting firm has downed his tools and became a woman – before opening a BEAUTY SALON.

Michelle Pindar, 56, was born Michael and lived for 38 years as a man by marrying a woman and starting a kitchen fitting business.

But after realising that she was born in the wrong body she started dressing as a woman and has just recovered from having complete gender reassignment surgery.

Before and after: ex joiner Michelle Pindar has downed his tools and became a woman

Michelle, from Hull, said: “I loved being a kitchen fitter and I was great at my job but I felt more comfortable working in beauty once I became a woman.

“I couldn’t carry on fitting kitchens in the week and being a woman at the weekends.

“Now it’s my favourite thing to do to help other women look their best – I’m all about the nails, the hair and the make-up.”

Michelle realised at eight years old that she felt more comfortable as a girl than a boy.

Despite knowing something was wrong, she pursued the manly lifestyle expected of her by getting a job in a shipyard, marrying a childhood friend aged 23, and later opening her own kitchen fitting business.

Michelle Pindar, 56, was born Michael, but has now opened a beauty salon following her gender reassignment

But 15 years into their marriage, Michelle, aged 38, decided to take the plunge and started dressing as a woman at weekends.

While she pursued her construction business Monday to Friday, Michelle switched to dresses and heels for Saturday nights out on the town.

Four years ago she started presenting as a woman full time and, to match up with her more feminine persona, she gave up kitchen fitting after 22 years of running the business.

Instead she bought a beauty salon where she now works waxing, applying semi-permanent make-up and perfecting women’s brows, lashes and hair.

But Michelle hasn’t lost her entrepreneurial spirit in the switch and invented a pillow she claims prevents some of the ageing to skin that occurs overnight.

And Michelle even wants to encourage more women into project management and construction having seen the business from both a male and a female perspective.

Michelle was eight years old when she realised that she felt more comfortable as a girl than a boy

Michelle said: “I was just eight when I realised that I’d been born in the wrong body.

“I just had this feeling but I didn’t act on it because I hadn’t even heard the word transgender or transsexual.

“I did everything I could to be as manly as possible.

“I ended up working in a shipyard and then I took the skills I’d learned there and started my own kitchen fitting company.

“I married a friend I’d known since school just because it was what was expected of me but we never had children.

“It took me a long time but I eventually realised that what I needed to do and I told my wife I needed to start dressing in girls’ clothes.

“She handled it well. We couldn’t stay together after that but we are still friends.

“The whole time I wanted to be a girl.

“Since I’ve been living fully as a woman, and especially since I had my surgery, I’ve loved going out more and more.

“I’m getting to have the youth as a woman I never had before.

“I loved being a kitchen fitter – I was at the top of my game, and the big home improvement stores recommended me to fit all the kitchens they sold.

“But it didn’t fit with me when I became a woman.

“I decided was ready to sell up and look for a new project and that’s when I bought the salon.

“I can’t imagine being without the salon now. I love being able to help people look their best.

“Now I’ve seen it from both sides I can appreciate that people don’t take women working in the construction industry seriously at all and I’d love to get back into it one day.

“But for now, I’m happy owning the salon and working on the Beauty Pillow.”